1
as in fires
to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force
BB guns shoot small round metal pellets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
3
as in pops
to strike with a missile from a gun
hunters can shoot deer only during the legally specified open season
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in rushes
to proceed or move quickly
some show-off shot past all the other skiers on the slope
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in photographs
to take a photograph of
shooting the lakeside scene while the light lasted
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in casts
to throw or give off
suddenly the old, broken-down toaster began shooting out sparks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in shouts
to voice one's opinions freely with force
you've been wanting to say something since this meeting started, so shoot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in sprinkles
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
hazel eyes that were brown shot with green
Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in sends
to cause to go or be taken from one place to another
shot a congratulatory e-mail to his friend as soon as he heard the good news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in limbs
a branch of a main stem especially of a plant
collected the most tender shoots for the vegetable dish he was making
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in pains
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
there'd be a shoot of pain from that molar whenever I bit down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shoots
Mark Prussin, CBS News, 18 June 2026
As David and Agent Greer leave with Matthew, Hayden shoots his mother and flees with Rachel.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 18 June 2026
Ultimately, Sheriff Bechir (Kevin Carroll) does what Tom can’t bring himself to and shoots Ruth (seemingly non-fatally) in the name of his own newborn child.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 17 June 2026
Or the likelihood an original director goes out and shoots original shots?
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026
Sarnoski shoots everything with overwhelming but legible intensity, neither shying away from the violence nor making an effort to glorify it, and Jackman is similarly stoic in his performance.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
In footage posted to X by former Mayor Eric Adams, dozens of bystanders can be seen filming as Jaden is savagely beaten, when one of his attackers draws a firearm and shoots him at point-blank range.
—Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 16 June 2026
Without hesitation, Miguel shoots Chet in the head, killing him instantly.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026
The 15-year-old Wie shoots a 69 to finish second.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 June 2026
My life revolves around deadlines, shoots, and special events, but skiing is my escape.
—Amber Feld, Vogue, 19 June 2026
Look for flower spikes that are beginning to decline, and cut the stem just above a set of leaves or side shoots.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 June 2026
Harryson says to avoid shearing the entire plant into a tight mound, cutting into the crown, removing emerging spring shoots, and pruning too early.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 16 June 2026
Last year Jordan increased its cash rebate program to 45% of local spend and introduced additional tax exemptions, making location shoots for foreign productions particularly attractive.
—Ed Meza, Variety, 15 June 2026
Crewdson’s shoots are similar to film sets, with roughly 50 crew members.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 15 June 2026
The mission will be the second from Astrobotic that shoots for the moon, after the debut of the company's smaller Peregrine lunar lander in January 2024.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 15 June 2026
Normally these leaves are lost, but new shoots with green leaves sprout from the base.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026
Verb
Jalen Brunson shoots between Julian Champagnie and Victor Wembanyama in Game Two of the NBA Finals.
—Mark Prussin, CBS News, 18 June 2026
As David and Agent Greer leave with Matthew, Hayden shoots his mother and flees with Rachel.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 18 June 2026
Ultimately, Sheriff Bechir (Kevin Carroll) does what Tom can’t bring himself to and shoots Ruth (seemingly non-fatally) in the name of his own newborn child.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 17 June 2026
Or the likelihood an original director goes out and shoots original shots?
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026
Sarnoski shoots everything with overwhelming but legible intensity, neither shying away from the violence nor making an effort to glorify it, and Jackman is similarly stoic in his performance.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
In footage posted to X by former Mayor Eric Adams, dozens of bystanders can be seen filming as Jaden is savagely beaten, when one of his attackers draws a firearm and shoots him at point-blank range.
—Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 16 June 2026
Without hesitation, Miguel shoots Chet in the head, killing him instantly.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026
The 15-year-old Wie shoots a 69 to finish second.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Noun
Green shoots are appearing in the spending patterns of lower-income earners, with their consumption tracking up in recent days on goods and services excluding gas.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 June 2026
My life revolves around deadlines, shoots, and special events, but skiing is my escape.
—Amber Feld, Vogue, 19 June 2026
Look for flower spikes that are beginning to decline, and cut the stem just above a set of leaves or side shoots.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 June 2026
Harryson says to avoid shearing the entire plant into a tight mound, cutting into the crown, removing emerging spring shoots, and pruning too early.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 16 June 2026
Last year Jordan increased its cash rebate program to 45% of local spend and introduced additional tax exemptions, making location shoots for foreign productions particularly attractive.
—Ed Meza, Variety, 15 June 2026
Crewdson’s shoots are similar to film sets, with roughly 50 crew members.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 15 June 2026
The mission will be the second from Astrobotic that shoots for the moon, after the debut of the company's smaller Peregrine lunar lander in January 2024.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 15 June 2026
Normally these leaves are lost, but new shoots with green leaves sprout from the base.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoots
Verb
-
Uruguay's efforts finally yield fruit as Maximiliano Araújo fires home in the 80th minute from close range on the left after Al-Owais made an initial save of a Uruguayan header but left the ball alive in the box.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
-
Russia fires more than 600 drones at Ukraine Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones overnight, primarily targeting Kyiv, while also striking the cities of Dnipro and Kharkiv.—
Hanna Arhirova,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Continue reading … REALITY CHECK — Jeffries blasts 'skyrocketing' fuel costs and gets an awkward on-air reminder.—
,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
-
It’s lit up in patriotic red, white, and blue, and sometimes blasts Vegas-nightclub-style spotlights into the sky.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Greta Lee pops in a casual fit at SiriusXM's Front Row with the Toy Story 5 cast in Los Angeles on June 10.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
-
That said, don’t assume that the pricing that pops up on Google is going to 100 percent accurately describe an item’s value.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Faced with ambiguity, the mind rushes in to solve it — to know.—
Nancy Colier,
Baltimore Sun,
17 June 2026
-
Traffic rushes by on the surrounding streets, but within the 16-acre neighborhood of Culdesac, cars are conspicuously absent.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Sarah Stier, a staff photographer for Getty Images who photographs Knicks regular season and playoff games, told ABC News.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
-
Petite Studio not only develops patterns expressly for petites, using specific mannequins, but also fits and photographs petite models with different body types.—
Yerin Kim,
InStyle,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
In doing so, Tehran casts itself in an elevated strategic position, as a party capable of setting terms.—
Hamidreza Azizi,
Time,
19 June 2026
-
The Lever, which surfaced the record, notes the filings are too vague to tie Boafo personally to that contract, and his campaign casts him as a consistent ICE opponent.—
Tonya M. Evans,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Zach Bryan shouts out the crowd on the London leg of his With Heaven on Tour on June 17.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
-
Roaring and grunting, his body sleek with blood and sweat, Conan tussles and grapples with a series of opponents, dominating them all, while an audience of torch-wielding vulgarians shouts and howls at the pit’s lip.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Use Cinnamon for Plants For outdoor plants, Guerrera sprinkles cinnamon on the soil to naturally kill fungus gnat larvae.—
Emily Hayes,
Martha Stewart,
12 June 2026
-
In honor of the Niners’ 80th season, the video takes us on a house tour through the decades that sprinkles their opponents’ objects in each room.—
Jayna Bardahl,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shoots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoots. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
